For Immediate Release: May 5, 2006
Contact: John Hartrick (hartrick@binghamton.edu)
Phone: 607-777-6800

BU baseball stretches win streak to four with 14-0 shellacking of Hartford
Diamond allows two hits over eight innings for fifth win of season

Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, N.Y. - Binghamton (23-16-1, 9-6 America East) outhit Hartford (8-24, 5-12 AE) 19-2 and scored runs in six of nine innings en route to a 14-0 victory Friday afternoon at Campus Field. The win was BU's fourth straight and tied the school record for wins in a season (23), set by the 2005 team.

Binghamton scored four runs in the second inning and blew the game wide open with three runs in each of the fourth and fifth frames. The Bearcats then tacked on two runs in the seventh and single runs in the eighth and ninth innings.

Junior first baseman Brendon Hitchcock (Laceyville, Pa.) continued his torrid hitting with a 4-for-5 performance. Hitchcock, who batted .399 last season, is hitting .540 over his last 10 games (20-for-37). He hit four singles, drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, lifting his average to .385. Junior second baseman Matt Simek (Vestal, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with two RBI and four other players had two hits apiece.

Junior catcher Pat Haughie (St. James, N.Y.) went 2-for-4 with a two-run single, junior shortstop Justin Smucker (Bird-in-Hand, Pa.) had two RBI and three runs scored and freshman catcher Michael Quinn (Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.) collected two RBI.

On the hill, sophomore Scott Diamond (Guelph, Ontario) stifled the Hawks on two hits over eight innings. Diamond (5-5) gave up doubles in the first and third innings and nothing else. He struck out four and retired the side in order in the fifth through eighth innings before departing in the ninth.

The two teams will play a twinbill Saturday beginning at noon. Sophomore Zach Groh (Reading, Pa.), the nation's ERA leader (0.75), will look for his fifth win of the season in game 1.